A New Trail to Explore

Today I’m excited to welcome you to a new monthly installment on the art/life trail!

Once each month, on the third Wednesday, I’ll post updates and peeks into the art/life on our 50 acre tree farm retreat in the Piedmont of Central Virginia. 

I begin with a bit of visual background followed by the first chapter of the story.

December 2009, our first look at the property,

 recently auctioned to a timber company and clear cut

The east border neighboring tree plantation
property comprised of hundreds of acres of pines

 

To the left, the north bordering land; showing what the 50 acres looked like prior to being timbered…to the right…our first look at the clear cut view. The tall trees along the  creek bed can be seen in the middle ground on the right.

 

              Creek beds are spared the timber cutters saw creating a riparian buffer.
Thanks to the EPA

The timber industry knocks over and drags out the large mixed hardwoods

and pines, the forests leave on the back of flatbed trucks, deep pockets of ruts and piles of debris are all that remain.

 

The Back Story

BD and I have been together for decades. I’ve heard her lament the destruction of open or forested land in the name of “development” and I had long been inspired by her dream to one day, “buy that corner lot or bulldozed construction site and allow it to return to its natural state”. 

In 2009 she mourned the loss of her family farm in the Michigan ‘thumb’ near Lake Huron. The beautifully renovated 1800’s farm house antique and collectibles contents were auctioned, then the house, barn, woodlot and fields were sold following both parents death.

It was BD’s sister Becky who suggested that she could seek out her own farm. This created a spark and soon land was located in central Virginia that was available: right location/right price.

The challenge: the 50 acres had just been timbered and carried the deep scars attendant with the logging industry.

We drove to see the property 3.5 hours from the beach just before year’s end 2009. What we saw was a devastated landscape covered in deep snow. We could see, as we and our house guest, Sara, trudged the deep ruts and slush filled depressions that the ‘bones of the land’ were good.

A creek meandered through the center of the land sourced from two fresh water springs. The large trees along the creek created a reprieve for the heart and eye. The decision was made.

The Lumbering Chain of Events

The land is placed on the auction circuit. A timber company wins the bid. Large machines are moved in as clear cut happens over a number of weeks. Large flatbed trucks remove the trees. Following the removal of all salable trees the land is listed on the open market. The new buyers niche is brokering timbered land. BD finds the land for sale on line. 

Two months later, after negotiations were complete, on Feb.19, 2010 BD signed the papers:

BD and John, the seller

On day of purchase BD registered the land
as a tree farm with the USDA

The first view of clear cut property

Let me know, in the comments below, how you enjoy the first chapter of our tree farm story.

I look forward to sharing the next installment with you on October 17.

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19 thoughts on “A New Trail to Explore

  1. Diane Floros

    Thanks for sharing. Such a shame. Great pictures. Nice for comparison

    • Iona Drozda

      Thanks Diane. So glad you are enjoying the amazing journey of the tree farm 😉

  2. Really enjoyed the first chapter and now on to the second….

    • Iona Drozda

      Hi Robyn…oh I do look forward to sharing these tremendously challenging and wonderful chapters of the tree farm’s unfolding with you. Thank you for being here ‘-)

  3. Sarah

    I look forward to hearing more of the history of the tree farm and the magnificent place it is becoming.

    • Iona Drozda

      Thanks Sarah! Appreciate your being here on the trail with us 😉
      BD will be bringing us the second installment on October 17…I’m excited !!

    • Iona Drozda
  4. Debi

    Love seeing the history through your narrative and photos of the unfolding of the tree farm. I know how much love and hard work you have both poured into this land and how much transformation there has been. Thanks for telling the story!

    • Iona Drozda

      ~ Hi Debster ~
      Thanks so much! I look forward to BD adding her voice to the historical overview…I believe she will be writing the October 17 installment and choosing the photos…that will be even more amazing for me to see and share. Stay tuned ‘-)

  5. Sandi

    Donna, reminds me of the whole cycle of ‘dying and rising’. So sad that the old growth was taken down, but, and I do mean, but, look at what has come, and what continues to ‘rise’. Wonder what will come of 44th Street?

    • Iona Drozda

      True enough Sandi … in fact I’ll be sharing in posts to come the exceptional amount of life that has come to fill in this once empty space.

      Our old home site on West 44th Street?
      …hmmm…time will tell.

  6. Since I’ve already seen photos of the amazing results of your labour of love, it’s even more inspiring to see how incredibly far the two of you have come! Look forward to living the details of the rest of the journey with you month by month 🙂

    • Iona Drozda

      Hello Wild C!
      Thank you for walking the art/life trail as we take this turn onto a new pathway. It’s thrilling to be here. We’re completely off the grid. No running water, no electric, certainly no air conditioning. Working here in my studio it is not unusual for the inside thermometer to read near 100 degrees. I love it. I go into sauna mode. It’s a pure adventure. I so appreciate your being here!!

  7. Mary jones

    Beautiful pictures and area about following ones dream. I find it inspirational when long time dreams and goals are actualized. Cannot wait for next installment. Mare

    • Iona Drozda

      Hey Mare!
      You are a most wonderful surprise ‘-)
      I so appreciate your feedback…and it will be great to share the dreams and the goals being accomplished in each monthly installment.
      I’m listening to a raven flying past my small works studio calling its guttural ‘cawcaw’ right now.

  8. francis

    so good to read the story of the tree farm with the visuals! eventhough i already know so much about it and have walked it with you.. the clear intention of sharing the story really illuminates it in a more wholesome way.. the context.. it touches my heart. the land adopted like a wounded friend. what if we all adopted a piece of earth and healed in healing? im so glad you are sharing this inspiring story with us.

    • Iona Drozda

      Dear Francis…how I feel the power of your comment, “the land adopted like a wounded friend. what if we all adopted a piece of earth and healed in healing?”
      Truly this is the connection that we have forged with this space…I’m excited to be able to post the monthly chapters of this unfolding story…mostly I’ll use the photos that show the ‘then’ and the ‘now’.
      😉

  9. Margie

    Love learning how this all came together, looking forward to the next chapter.♥️

    • Iona Drozda

      Hi Margie
      Thank you so much for joining me on this new sharing adventure. I’ve wanted to celebrate with our art/life readers for a good while now…however there had to be some visible, tangible progress…otherwise it would have been hard to imagine the direction things would take ‘-) Now the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos will be worthy of celebration!!

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